George and May celebrate 70 years of marital bliss

May Julia and George Clarke of Mc Shine Street, Sangre Grande, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary, while May Julia celebrated her her 95th birthday last Sunday. May Julia Clarke was born on May 22, 1910 at Fishing Pond to parents James and Phillipa Pemberton. May met George as young adults and had been in a relationship for over 70 years. Together they have ten children, five boys and five girls. Irene and Cynthia reside in Virginia, Joyce in New York and Attilee, a doctor lives in Australia, while Pearl, Tyrone, Ralph, Elwyn and Kathleen reside  in Trinidad. May can be described as a woman of faith and strength says her husband George. He was a tailor, and she a housewife, but they shared every aspect of each other’s life. She was into agriculture on the family land to help support the meagre income of what tailoring brought.

In the later years of George’s retirement, they were both up at 5 am every day to supply the neighbourhood  with the daily newspapers, until December, 2004, when they gave it up. May says she and George are blessed to be alive and together to see their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. They have had their joys, sorrows, pains and disappointments, but have made it together for 70 years and as the scripture says “it is all God’s work,” she declared. Sunday marked a milestone in May’s life — 95 years. According to records there is no evidence of anyone in her family life who had lived to this ripe old age as she has.

May who is in good health, reads, does her daily chores and is able to shop for herself. She keeps abreast of the daily happenings and can have heated discussions on current issues facing Trinidad and Tobago. Her experiences are many and over the years she has shared many of them with her children and members of the community. Her children and even grandchildren said what stands out most for them is her capacity to stand steadfast and strong in the face of  adversity. When asked for the recipe for her long life she said plenty of provision, vegetables, fruits, fish, prayers and faith in God.